NEWS - Sydney fire claims at least six luxury boats

By: David Lockwood, Photography by: NSW Maritime

Date: 23.07.2009

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A fire that allegedly started on a boat being worked on at a marina spread to five other boats and damaged a further three boats, then several flaming hulks drifted through a bay off Newport, Pittwater, that was littered with moorings.

NEWS - Sydney fire claims five luxury boats

There's nothing quite so disturbing as a boat that's ablaze. But six boats on fire simultaneously is something else. That's what happened on Sydney's Pittwater yesterday when a luxury boat reportedly being cleaned or maintained caught fire, drifted away flaming, and ignited other boats along the way. At one stage, five boats were engulfed by flames in an apocalyptic scene. The flames were fanned by strong westerly winds during an unseasonably warms 24C Sydney day. All boats burnt to the waterline, at least three other boats were damaged, but as they were diesel powered there were no huge explosions, just towering flames and a thick plume of black smoke that could be seen as far as the Central Coast. Investigations are underway as to the cause of the fires. Pics courtesy of NSW Maritime.